Police raid Evan Mawarire home looking for “helmet, baton stick”

The Harare magistrates court on Tuesday issued a warrant of search for a police helmet, a baton stick and suspected subversive material at Evan Mawarire’s Avondale home and Milton Park church in the capital.

The Harare magistrates court today issued a warrant of search for a police helmet, a truncheon and suspected subversive material at Evan Mawarire’s home and church.

The search warrant was issued to one Detective Chief Inspector Runganga and unnamed other investigating officers.

Police proceeded to raid his Avondale home and Milton Park church.

The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) in Zimbabwe has condemned what it called the “unlawful arrest” of #ThisFlag movement Pastor Evan Mawarire on Tuesday, saying “the man has no criminal case to answer.”

Mawarire has been using social media to encourage people to protest against President Robert Mugabe’s government which he accused of failed leadership and incapacity to solve the current economic crisis.

Read the search warrant:

“Evan Mawarire is believed to be in possession of a stolen police helmet, button (sic) stick and other subversive material which he used to incite public violence on 6 July 2016 and others for intended use on 13 July 2016 for public violence (sic),” read the search warrant.

The document shows that Mawarire, who handed himself over to the police this morning in the company of a lawyer offered by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) , was charged under Section 187 (1) (a) as read with Section 36(1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

Mawarire’s arrest comes a day before another round of nationwide protests planned for Wednesday. Nehanda Radio